Recycling stretches to include rigid plastic

Rigid plastics like toys, garden furniture, plant pots and CD cases can now be recycled in Southend – thanks to a new scheme suggested by residents.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council together with its recycling and waste contractor Cory Environmental, has just launched this additional recycling service at Stock Road and Leigh Marshes Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs)

It was introduced in response to feedback from residents during a Cory Environmental survey.

The new service could divert an estimated equivalent of 30 more dustcart loads – 300 tonnes - from landfill every year. This figure was based on recent trials undertaken at Stock Road HWRC.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Councillor Tony Cox said: “We are pleased to introduce this new service. It is important to provide top recycling opportunities which suit the needs raised by residents in the recent trial and survey.

“The extra tonnage generated will increase the amount of material recycled and help us achieve the 60 per cent recycling rate target Southend aims to reach by 2015.”

Emma Cheesman, Cory Environmental’s Recycling Manager said, “Since our survey highlighted demand for this service we have been searching the local market for a reprocessor which can ensure a quality and reliable rigid plastic recycling service.

“We hope that this new service will help to increase our recycling rate even further.”

Examples of rigid plastics that can be recycled at HWRC’s are: Plastic bins and buckets Plastic toys (with metal parts removed) Plastic garden furniture (with metal parts removed) CD/ DVD cases Plastic storage containers Water Butts Plastic plant pots Plastic guttering Plastic plates and cutlery

For details about Southend’s recycling schemes, visit www.southend.gov.uk/recycling

Southend’s weekly kerbside collection scheme includes: Recycling using pink recycling sacks Textiles and clothing using clear textile recycling sacks Cooked and uncooked food waste using the blue food waste collection bin General household refuse using black refuse sacks Garden waste using the green bin (opt into scheme) Garden waste using pre-paid compostable sacks (opt into scheme)